Apprenticed to Evil
by Schizo and Proud of It
Summary: When an incredibly powerful Harry is sent to the Country by Mam, years after her desendents and children die out, who will he choose to follow? The Light or the Dark? Powerful!Harry Creature!Harry later. Maybe Slash, havent decided. M to be safe. R&R!
1. Time Flies When People Die

**A/N: **Hey y'allz! Okay, I own NOTHING but plot and maybe a few characters here or there. I DEFINITELY don't own Harry Potter or The Last Apprentice series. If I did, you could be DAMN sure that The Deathly Hallows would have ended WAY different. I don't think I could write good enough to fix the Last Apprentice Series, though. That author is a GENIOUS. Anyways, R&R PLZ!!

**Prologue**

**~*~**

The residents of Privet Drive, in Surry England were all curious about their newest neighbor. She was a middle-aged woman with curly black hair, sad dark eyes, and an aura that made people automatically feel like children. She also had an interesting accent, but none of them could place it. It was…Exotic. Enthralling, even.

This woman, though, never spoke to anyone. She lived alone in her house, number five, and tended an herb garden. She also had two sisters' who no one ever saw, but who apparently visited every three days to check on her.

This woman, whose name no one knew, was the main topic of all the busy-bodies gossip. Especially that of one Mrs. Petunia Dursley, who lived across the street in number Four. The Dursleys are a nice, normal family of two. Petunia is a tall, thin woman who loves spying and showing off to the neighbors.

Vernon Dursley, her husband, is a short, fat blond man with a bushy mustache and an anger problem, who works at a Drill company called Gunning's. He loves his wife and, most importantly, appearing normal in front of others. He was also a drunk, but he had a good reason, which we shall explain in a moment…

There is one more member of the Dursley family, though. One that hardly anyone knew about. His name is Harry Potter, and he's Petunia's nephew from her sister, Lily. Harry is a too-small, too-thin, too-pale ten-year-old, with unruly raven hair, bright-nearly-glowing-green eyes, round glasses, and a red lightning-bolt scar on his forehead. Harry was the pack-mule of the Dursley family, though. He lived in the cupboard under the stairs with the spiders, and cooked all the meals and did all the chores.

Harry had lived with the Dursleys since he was one-and-a-half years old. That was when his parents were both killed. His relatives told him it was from a car-crash when his parents were driving drunk, but he didn't believe them. He had had dreams about his parents, and a man with red eyes, and then there'd be a bright flash of green before he work up with a pain in his scar. They'd let him know early one that he was a Freak, a Monster. A Murderer and a Whore. He didn't really understand how he was the last one, but he could guess at the others.

He was a Freak, because he could make things happen that no one else could. It was natural, a part of him, his Magic. Oh, he knew he had Magic. How else could he explain how he'd grown back his hair when his aunt had all but shaved it? Or how he healed so well after his uncles 'Punishments'?

He was a Monster, because he could turn into any animal he wanted to, and could talk to snakes and birds. He preferred snakes, but birds could be interesting too. They were very good at spying.

He was a Murderer, though that was not really his fault. Not totally, at least. You see, there had been one more Dursley. Petunia and Vernon's only son, Dudley. Dudley had been a bully, a mini Vernon, and could outweigh a baby whale. His favorite pass-time had been Harry-Hunting, which meant he and his friends would chase Harry around and beat him up.

One day, though, he had gone too far. Harry had a bird-friend named Talon, who was a beautiful black bird. Dudley had gotten a sling-shot from one of his little raids that he and his buddies did, where they beat up random kids and stole their stuff. Well, Dudley could really aim that thing, and he killed Talon with a rock to the head. Harry's Magic had reacted to his horror, anger, and grief. Dudley had been picked up and thrown in front of a moving diesel truck.

His aunt and uncle had tried to get rid of him. They'd beaten him to within an inch of his life, and left him in an alley in the London slums. Someone had found him and returned him, telling the Dursleys that they had to keep him in the house and let him live there, no matter what. Harry really hated that old man, with his long white beard and creepy, twinkling eyes. He smelled like lemon drops, which had always made Harry nauseous for some reason.

Harry, at the moment, was mowing the lawn before his uncle got home. His aunt was passed out on the couch thanks to her sedatives, given to her by the grief doctors who said she'd need them to fight her depression. Harry thought they made her worse, because when she passed out, she dreamed of the day Dudley had died, over and over again.

Harry hadn't _meant_ to kill his cousin! It wasn't his fault that his Magic reacted so strongly to his emotions. He had absolutely _no_ training, what-so-ever, and with his aunt and uncle, he doubted he'd ever get it.

Harry sighed as he finished mowing the lawn, the summer heat making his too-large clothes stick to him uncomfortably. He wanted to take off his shirt, but then people would see the scars. He didn't mind the whipping and stabbing scars. It was the words burned and carved into his skin that people tended to freak out about. Freak, Monster, Murderer, Whore. Those words were a reoccurring factor in his life.

He looked up at the setting sun, knowing his uncle wouldn't be home for a few hours. He looked around warily, but no one was around, everybody tucked away inside their air conditioned homes. With a deep breath, he let his Magic fill him, lapping underneath his skin. With a thought, his body changed, morphed.

His small body shrunk even more. His skin became pattered with feathered designs and his eyes moved back. Soon, a small, pitch-black owl sat where a boy once stood. With a soft coo, Harry-the-Owl lifted his wings and flung himself into the sky, enjoying the breeze he found there.

He flew for an hour, going all the way to London, where he shifted back and got some food. He ate swiftly, turning once more into an owl and flying home quickly. He still had chores, after all, but he also needed the food his relatives refused to provide. As he neared Privet Drive, two large shadows converged on him, flying over his form. He moved on instinct, lunging to the left and out of reach as a pair of clawed, yet human-like, hands tried to grab him.

There were two woman flying near him, with huge, black-feathered wings. They had snake-like faces, and nasty looking claws. They hissed at him, a snake-like sound of hunger that had no meaning or words. Harry hissed right back at them, his green eyes annoyed. You'd have thought he'd be afraid, but when you'd been pushed to Death's doorway by your own family nearly every night for ten years, the prospect of it just lost its meaning.

The flying creatures tried to catch him for a while, making him swerve and dodge, diving in close when they lunged far. He was careful not to attack them, though, uncertain if their blood would harm him as much as their claws. He knew a snake who had a magical mother, whose blood was like an acid. Watching a predator melt when it gave the snake a small cut was morbidly fascinating, but not something he wanted to witness first-hand.

He saw Privet Drive. Saw his uncle pull into the driveway and stumble out, drunk. That one moment of distraction was enough for one of the creatures to hit him, not doing too much damage. His left wing went numb, which made him swerve and start to fall, away from number Four and into the back yard of number Five.

Hissing in pain and slightly dazed, Harry quickly transformed back, pushing his Magic into his damaged arm. The two creatures landed near him, hissing at him. He scowled, holding his slowly healing arm close and watching warily.

"You know, you didn't have to hit me so hard," He told them, annoyed. "But then again, I've been hit harder." He looked down at his arm, flexing his fingers. All that was left was a few small bruises, which he left alone. Instead, he focused his Magic on defense, watching the creatures as they closed in.

"_Interesting child, don't you agree Sister?"_ the one on the right asked, her bluer eyes watching Harry intensely.

"_Oh, yes, Sister, I agree. A shape-shifter! This is a first."_ The green eyed one on the left said as they moved slightly apart in a silent shuffle. Harry knew that it hid their true speed, though. He knew snakes who moved slow that could strike in a blur at any moment.

"_If you're just going to talk about me,"_ Harry hissed at them, startling them into stopping. _"Than can you both stop trying to eat me? It's very tedious when I have to not only worry about how I'm going to explain it to my uncle about why I wasn't home, but also have to worry about to flying snake women eating me."_ They stared at him, and he heard someone laugh behind him. He turned his head so he could still se the two creatures out of the corner of his eye, as well as the new person.

It was the woman who owned number Five. She was sitting there in a long dark blue gown, on a rocking chair on the back porch. She must have been there for a while, Harry decided, watching this new threat carefully. The woman smiled at him, her eyes amused and warm, but Harry also noticed the sadness and age in them. As if she'd lived for a very long time and had seen many loved ones die. She said something in a different language, and the two creatures answered back. Harry let out a soft sigh of irritation, a frown marring his pale face.

"Excuse me, ladies, but as much as I do so _enjoy_ standing here between a Rock and a Hard place, I believe I need to go home," He finally said; the creatures snapped their serpentine eyes to him curiously, their wings twitching slightly. The woman in the rocking chair smiled at him.

"You remind me of one of my sons," she said, that accent making her voice soothing and nice to hear. "He was my first son of seven, but he was impatient and stubborn as a mule. You also remind me of my youngest, who was polite and powerful. The combination is…Interesting." Harry looked at her, wondering why she was telling him this.

"Um, okay? But I'm not being impatient, I'm being rational. I have to be home in about fifteen seconds or else my uncle will be displeased." The woman tilted her head to the side, something entering her dark eyes for a moment, before disappearing. Harry realized with a start that she knew what he meant when he said Vernon would be displeased. It made him rethink his opinion of her being gentle. What he'd seen had been far from gentle. Hell, it had been far from human.

"What is your name, lad?" The woman asked calmly, ignoring what he'd said, apparently.

"Harry Potter," He answered warily, knowing names had power. She smiled at him, that hint of sadness leaking through.

"You can call me Mam, Harry dear. Tell me, is there anything here you would ever come back for? If you had the chance to leave and never come back, no matter what, would you take it?" Harry stared at her for a few seconds, thinking over his answer very carefully.

"I think I would rather be in a place where people were killed by monsters every day, then live with the ones across the street," he answered slowly. "The only thing I would regret, is leaving my animal friend. But they will forget, as they always do. It's their nature to forget those who disappear." Mam nodded slowly, smiling sadly once more.

"Would you like to leave here, then?" She asked softly; Harry nodded firmly. Mam nodded and stood, walking down the porch steps to stand in front of him. "My sisters are intrigued by you, young Harry," she said softly; Harry glanced at the two creatures warily.

"What are they?" He asked bluntly, turning his eyes back to Mam. "I don't mean to offend," he added honestly; Mam just smiled.

"They are feral lamia witches," she told him calmly. "I myself am a lamia witch, only I am a benevolent, and they are not. Do you know what that means?" Harry nodded.

"Good witch, bad witches, easy enough to understand," he said calmly, shrugging. He was way ahead of his class, a genius by all accounts. He just didn't show it off. Mam nodded, pleased.

"You will learn much about witches and worse where I shall send you. Harry stared at her for a moment.

"Where would that be, exactly?" He asked cautiously; Mam smiled slightly.

"To the Country. Back in time, where my children still live and much evil plagues the world, with very few to fight it." Harry stared at her for a few moments.

"Okay," he said simply. "When do I leave?" Mam smiled sadly, handed him an envelope with some other language written on the front.

"Now," was all she murmured before darkness ate his vision and the world around him gave a jerk, and, as suddenly as it had happened, Harry Potter was gone.

**A/N:** Whooo-Hoo Read and Review!!! …Hey, I rhymed!! XP


	2. New Life, New Name, New World

**A/N:** Hey y'allz! Hope you liked the prologue, but now it's time to move on!!! R&R PPLZ!!!!! PLZ!!!

**Chapter One**

**~*~**

Harry groaned as he woke. His head _hurt_! What the bloody hell had happened?! Slowly he sat up from where he lay, looking around.

He was in a forest, with large dark tree's and lots of mist, giving it a sinister feel. Strangely, though he felt at home. As if some part of him had been missing, and was back. His Magic felt stronger as well, more under his control.

A sound to his right startled him slightly. It was a whimper of pain, a sound he was well accustomed to hearing from his own mouth. Standing, he brushed leaves and dirt from his clothes, noticing that they were still too large, but were now a tunic and breeches, like from the twelve hundreds… Shaking his head in bemusement, Harry walked through the bushes and headed towards the pain-filled whimpers, moving silently over the twig and leaf strewn ground. That bothered him a bit, but he decided to ignore it for now.

As he pushed threw another bush, he found something that angered him. There, not more then five feet away, was a young wolf, just out of cub-hood. It's paw was stuck in a trap and it was pulling at it weakly, whimpering. It turned still-pup-blue eyes on Harry, freezing. Harry let his Magic fill his skin as he moved toward the wolf slowly, carefully.

"Easy there, little one," he murmured softly, letting a thread of his Magic sooth the wolf. He held out a hand and let it get his sniff. "See? I'm a friend. Pack, yes?" The wolf let it's tail thump on the ground a few times, it's black fur rustling in the slight wind. It had some gray splotches on it's face and the tip of it's tail was a pure white. Harry smiled softly, kneeling beside the wolf.

"I'm going to pull your foot out of this," the ten-year-old told the wolf. "Then, I'm going to heal you, alright?" The wolf whined a bit, so Harry gently rubbed its' ears, soothing it. "Easy, easy," he murmured, before reaching over to the trap. It was a nasty thing, meant to not only slam shut on unsuspecting creatures legs, but it also had nasty metal teeth the rip the flesh away with every resistance put up. Harry forced his anger away at that, and focused his Magic. With a soft squeak, it pulled open, and Harry gently pulled the wolf's leg out of it.

"There, now, that wasn't so bad. I'll heal you up now, though, before you bleed to death," the boy said soothingly, stroking the wolf's thick, silky fur. He gently wrapped a hand around the injured limb, focusing his Magic. Slowly, before his eyes, the broken and ripped up leg straightened and healed. After a few moments, the only thing that suggested the wolf had even been injured was the blood that covered it.

"There you go!" Harry said, smiling. The wolf was male, he realized after checking. "All better, now," he told him; the wolf wagged it's tail and licked at his chin. Harry chuckled, petting it, before both got to their feet. He looked at the trap with disgust and, with barely any effort, had his Magic melt it. He looked down at the metal puddle with distaste, before carving a warning in the tree trunk it had been in front of.

_**These woods and all who live in them are under my protection. All those who poach without good reason will be tortured and killed indiscriminately.**_

_**You have been warned.**_

Underneath it he made a wolf's paw-print. It seemed appropriate to him. He turned his attention back to his little friend, satisfied with his message. He smiled at the young wolf, which wagged his tail happily. Patting him on the head, Harry led the way threw the bushes and away from the tree. The wolf followed loyally at his side.

"I'll have to give you a name, if you're going to stay with me," Harry told him; the wolf yipped, tongue lolling out of it's mouth as it gave him a smile. Harry shook his head fondly. "I think I'll call you Dagger," he told the wolf, and the wolf wagged his tail harder at the name. Harry nodded. "Yes, you're name shall be Dagger. And, since I'm starting a new life, I need one as well…" He thought about it for a few minutes as they walked on.

"How about… Malus Lupus. Yes, I rather like that…" The newly named Malus smiled at his wolf friend, who yipped at him. They walked for maybe an hour, before they came to an abandoned cave. Malus and Dagger took up residence in it, the boy liking the fact that it had many tunnels that led to other caverns, one of which led to a antechamber that had a small lake. He really liked that one, because it had an odd fungus that glowed green in it, giving it an ethereal appeal to it.

Using his Magic, Malus hid the passages from all eyes but his own and Daggers. He did the same for the cave opening, carefully making sure that the only people allowed in were he and his wolf, as well as making it so that any who neared, animal or not, would find themselves unconsciously moving away from their cave. Finally, with that done, he gathered sticks and started a fire to get warm by, Dagger cuddling into his side as he sat.

He needed new clothes, he mused, fingering a hole in his leggings. And food and maybe a walking stick… His mind filtered through plans, examining them and tossing them away carelessly, before landing on one that would work well. Tomorrow, he decided, he'd turn into a bird and fly to the nearest town. He'd steal some money and clothes, change, and buy food. He'd also search the forest with Dagger and remove any and all traps. He disliked those. They were mere torture devises meant to cause pain and fear before the hunter came to finish off the captured. He shuddered to think of what would happen should a lost child step in one.

The two cave-dwellers watched the sun set, and soon fell asleep, curled against each other. Malus had shifted into his wolf form, which was fully black with his glowing green eyes, and a red lightening-bold crossing over his right eye, from his forehead to his chin. Together the two wolves slept dreamlessly and peacefully, unaware of the wheels of Fate switching directions and changing.

Upon dawns arrival, they both woke and stood, shaking their furry bodies. Malus turned back into his human form, before leading the way from the cave, Dagger at his side. They walked for a few hours, searching for more traps. They found two metal and one rope. Malus left the rope one in place, but melted the metal ones and left the same warning as before. Soon, though, they heard human voices nearby. Dagger growled lowly; Malus narrowed his eyes slightly.

Silently, the circled around the people, until they were behind them. It was a hunter and his apprentice, apparently. They were setting a trap, though Malus was pleased to see it was another rope one, meant to cause little harm. The boy, who looked to be just a little older then Malus, was complaining.

"Why don't we just use some traps?" he demanded in a high, nasally voice, his brownish hair ruffling in the wind. The trapper sent him a cool look.

"Those are vile things that shouldn't ever be used, no matter what, you Master Falls." He rumbled; his wild brown beard and hair making the large, muscled man even more intimidating. "They cause more pain then is needed, and most often the animal caught in one dies of shock or blood loss, which ruins the point of a trap anyways. Ya understand?" The boy scowled.

"Aye, I understand ya, but I still don't like it." The large trapper shook his head.

"There's another reason I won't use metal traps now," he told the boy, before leading him a little ways. He stopped and pointed at a silver puddle that had once been a metal trap, and then at the warning on the tree by it. "Someone doesn't appreciate the metal traps hurting the animals. And I don't fancy spending money on another trap if it's just going to get melted." The boy peered at the puddle in disbelief.

"What could melt a cast-iron trap?" he asked, shocked. The trapper shrugged, watching the forest around them warily. Malus and Dagger stood no more then five feet away, cloaking in the boys Magic and invisible.

"Magic, lad, Magic." Falls shuddered in fear; Malus smiled slightly. He liked the older man, for some reason. He was smart, and he respected Magic.

"You mean a w-witch lives here?" Falls squeaked; Malus held back a snort.

"Aye, lad, though be she evil or not has yet to be seen, but I'm guess she'll not harm us if we leave her be and not use metal traps." Malus had heard enough, and decided to reveal himself. His Magic pulsed softly as it drew back, making him and his wolf visible.

"I appreciate that you heed my warning," he said, making the trapper and his apprentice jump. He smiled easily, hand resting on Daggers head. The wolf growled lowly at the two. Falls gulped and backed away slightly, hiding behind his master.

"Your warning?" the trapper asked; Malus smiled at him.

"Aye, my warning. Not all Magic users are female, nor are they all evil, sir." He clucked his tongue and Dagger fell silent, sitting down and watching with bored but intense eyes. "I dislike metal traps, especially since one grabbed my wolf here. I healed him, but that's not the point." Malus turned his intense, glowing green eyes on Falls. "Tell me, boy. Do you have a younger sibling?" The boy gulped and nodded.

"I-I have a l-little sister," he stuttered fearfully.

"How old?" Malus asked kindly, smiling gently, looking unthreatening.

"Six," Falls answered hesitantly; Harry nodded.

"Six is the age of curiosity, ain't it? The age where children like running around and getting lost, going on little adventures. What would happen if your little sister got lost in these woods, and stepped in one of them traps, hmm?" Horror widened the other boys eyes, and Malus nodded. "Not a pretty thought, is it?" Falls shook his head furiously. "Ya understand my reasons, then. I live here now, and as long as there are metal traps, those who are caught setting them will be harmed. Your rope traps are allowed, though. After all, people need to eat, right?" He smiled as he said it, before glancing up at the sky.

"Nearly noon," he said calmly, turning his glowing eyes back onto the trapper. "What's your name?" he asked curiously; the trapper answered warily,

"Tanis Gobs, I'm a trapper and I sell furs. This is my apprentice, Asher Falls." Malus nodded calmly to them.

"I'm Malus Lupus, and I'm gonna offer you a deal, Mr. Gobs. You bring me some furs and goods, to this clearing here, once every couple of days, and I'll trade you for them. I don't have anything to trade at the moment, but I'll find things that I believe you'll find well worth a few furs," he said confidently, smirking slightly. Tanis thought it over for a few moments, before nodded.

"How will you know when I'm here?" He asked; Malus paused, thoughtful. Dagger yipped at him, cocked his head to the side, and licked his snout. Harry met his eyes, and an idea came to mind. He walked over to the large tanner, and held out a hand.

"Place you hand in mine, and I'll place a small charm on you. Nothing harmful," he said quickly, meeting the older mans eyes honestly. "I give my word on that. It'll just let us know when you're bringing stuff for us, so we can meet you here." Tanis hesitated, before warily placing his large, scarred hand into Malus' small, callused one.

The tanner felt gentle warmth touch his skin, hesitant, as if sniffing him, before it wrapped gently around his hand and sank into his skin. A small black wolf paw-print appeared on the skin between his thumb and forefinger. Malus pulled his hand back quickly, smiling cheerfully.

"There, all finished. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some work to do. We'll see you in a few days, alright?" Tanis nodded, and watched as Malus walked to Daggers side, took two more steps, and both of them disappeared as if they had never been there. Shaking his head, the tanner grabbed his shaken apprentice and led him from the forest.

Asher was in shock. He'd met his first witch, and not only had said witch been benevolent, at least, mostly, but also a boy! The tanners apprentice looked behind him warily, wondering about the boy. His thoughts turned to the puddle of melted metal, and he shuddered as a picture of the trap it had been came to mind, snapping it's metal fangs upon his little sisters fragile legs. He swore then and there, to never work with a metal trap again, and to make sure that his sister never wandered into the woods unattended again.

Malus was following them, silently and invisible, Dagger left behind at the cave. He needed to get to a town, and he needed supplies. When they reached the town where the two lived, Malus went the opposite direction, skirting the towns' boundaries warily, watching and listening to people talk. This place was called Shannon's Burg. It was a quaint, out-of-the way town in the middle of a large forest. He decided he liked it.

He snuck into stores, nicking a bag to carry things in. He stole food, money, clothes, and other things he'd need. He didn't want to rely too heavily on his Magic, after all. Quickly, he returned to the forest, though. He shifted into his wolf form, and bounded through the trees and bushes.

He made it back to the cave before three hours had gone by, and set about making it more livable and comfortable. He set the food up on a stone ledge, using his Magic to make sure nothing got into it and that it stayed fresh. He changed into a pair of fitting black pants, a deep nearly-black green shirt with a lighter green hem, and a black cloak. He'd also gotten some soft-soled boots, which help his already silent steps be even quieter, if that were possible.

He tied a throng of oiled leather around Dagger's neck, and made small red wolf-prints on it with his Magic. He lay a quilt on the ground for a bed, and set some cooking pots and pans beside the fire pit. All together, the cave now had a pleasant lived-in feel about it, and Malus allowed a pleased smile to come onto his face as he looked around him at his work. Dagger was already making himself at home on the 'bed', much to the Magic users' amusement.

With a hum, Malus went about making himself some food, with bread and cheese he'd stolen, as well as an apple. It wasn't much, but he was used to a lot less. All together, it had been a productive day, to say the least, and he felt that it would only get more interesting as the days went by. He couldn't wait.

**A/N:** R&R and I own Tanis & Asher, BTW.


	3. Raindrops and Rubies

**A/N:** WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Hi Peoples!!! Okay, Harry will now be permanently referred to as Malus. BTW, do any of y'all know what Malus Lupus means? Hint: It's Latin, but for what, Hmm???

**Chapter Two**

**~*~**

Malus awoke the next morning to find it was raining heavily. He wanted nothing more then to crawl back into bed and sleep, but he now had a duty. So, he got up and got dressed in his black leggings, green shirt and black cloak, using his Magic to make water roll straight off of him. He also made his clothes heated, so he'd stay warm as well as dry. Dagger opted to stay in the cave, which amused Malus.

With a sigh, the boy put up his hood and strode out into the rain to check the forest for traps. It was slow going, what with the mud and falling limbs and such, and there were only rope traps today, which pleased him. He was on his way back when he heard someone crying. Quickly, he headed for the noise and found a little girl with her foot stuck in the mud, caught on a root.

There was a flash of lightening, which struck the rowan tree. Harry watched for a few seconds frozen, as it started to fall on the little girl. She screamed, and it brought him out of his trance. He launched himself forward until he stood over the girl, and threw his hands in the air as if to catch the large tree. His Magic flooded him, stopping the tree mere inches from him. Slowly, he moved it so that the tree landed beside them, sweat glistening on his brow from the effort.

Finally, when his Magic let the tree drop, he turned his glowing green eyes back to the scared, soaked, and trapped child. She had reddish looking hair and soft, dark green eyes. She sniffled, looking up at him through the rain and her terrified tears. He knelt down next to her in the mud, and gently pried her leg out from under the root, and healing the small cuts she'd gotten.

"Th-thank you," she said in a shaking, soft voice; Malus smiled softly.

"No problem, little one, but quick. Let's get you inside and dried off before you catch your death," he scooped her up off the ground and wrapped his cloak around her tightly, before setting a quick pace back to the cave. It took him ten minutes to reach it and get inside, and in the time he'd found out that the girl's name was Mary Falls. Asher's little sister. Malus settled her down on the blankets, wrapping her up tightly and starting the fire with a flick of his fingers. Dagger cuddled up to her to give her his body heat, and Malus set about making soup.

"What are you doing in the forest all alone during a storm?" Malus asked; Marry looked ashamed.

"Asher told me I wasn't allowed in the forest anymore, 'cause I could get hurt or something. Mam and Pap agreed, and I was just so mad that I came here anyways." Malus nodded calmly, stirring the soup and adding a few of the herbs he'd discovered around the forest.

"So, your family wanted you to be safe, and you went into a dangerous forest during a nasty rain storm, just because you were upset," he said calmly; Mary looked down.

"I wasn't thinking," she said honestly, before she started to cry. With a soft sigh, Malus hugged her to his chest and sang softly to her, letting her cry.

"Easy, easy there, little one," he murmured, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"I w-was so scared!" she sobbed, clinging to him. "I-I thought I w-was going to _die_, but you s-saved me, a-an-and I j-just want t-to go _home_!" The last was said in a wail as she started to cry harder. Malus pulled her into his lap, rocking her gently and humming, until she'd cried herself out. He kissed her forehead softly, and gave her a small bowl of soup. She ate it silently, hiccupping every once in a while, her eyes red and swollen.

"I'll take you home once the storm clears, alright?" Malus said, giving a bowl to Dagger before getting some himself. "It's too dangerous at the moment, so you should get some rest and warm up, alright?" Mary nodded meekly, finishing her soup and cuddling into the blankets, her arms wrapped around Daggers neck. The wolf let her do it, settling beside her for his own nap. Malus smiled softly, running a hand threw her hair once before standing and going to investigate some of the tunnels. He wanted to find something to give Tanis for his furs.

It took two hours before he found something. It was a small, thumb-sized ruby. It was small, but there were many of them. Most were rubies, but there were a few emeralds and quartz as well. He used his Magic to make some shiny, smooth, black rocks into a small bracelet, with a single paw-shaped emerald on it for Mary. He liked the little girl a lot. She was sweet and innocent.

He returned to the main chamber and settled down for a nap next to his still-sleeping companions. By the time they woke again, the sun was setting and it had stopped raining. Quickly, Malus bundled the little girl up and carried her, with Dagger at his side, to Shannon's Burg.

When he got there, they already had a search party ready. He cleared his throat, and all thirty of the men, plus Asher, turned to him. Mary waved sleepily as Malus watched them, amused.

"Did you happen to loose something?" He asked, before he was promptly tackled by a crying woman who was desperate to get to her daughter. He blushed bright red when she kissed his cheek and thanked him profusely. "Err, not a problem ma'am. She was near my home as it were, so I just kept her out of the rain, fed her, and brought her home is all…."

"Malus saved me from a falling tree, Mam," Mary said, yawning. "I like him, even if he is a witch." Everything got really quiet after that, but Harry merely smiled, though it was a bit sad.

"Well, now that she's home, I'll just head back. Gotta make dinner, right Dagger?" The wolf huffed at him and swiped a paw at his leg playfully. Harry snorted. "Damned puppy," he said fondly, ruffling the wolfs' ears. He nodded calmly to Asher and Tanis. "Asher, Mr. Gobs, a pleasure to see you again." Tanis nodded calmly.

"Malus. I have some furs for you, if you'd like to look them over," the tanner said carefully; Malus' face brightened into a delighted smile.

"Oh brilliant!" He exclaimed, clapping his hands together once. "It's starting to get chilly out, and Magic can only do so much. I've got what I was going to trade you right in my pocket anyways… Oh, and that reminds me…" He pulled out the bracelet he'd made for Mary, and placed it gently on her wrist before her mother could say anything. "There you go, munchkin! It has protective spells on it, so nothing that has ill intent towards you or your family can come near you," he finished, smiling when the little girl hugged him tightly around the waist.

"I love it, Malus! I'll never take it off, never!" She looked up at her savior with a adoring eyes, and Malus found his entire being melting and warming towards the little girl, love filling him to the brim. It was a foreign emotion, but he decided he liked it.

"Just no more running off into the forest, little one. Especially by yourself, okay? I won't always be there to keep nasty trees from falling on your pretty head, now will I?" Mary shook her head.

"I wont ever go alone again, Malus! Promise." Malus nodded, satisfied, before turning his attention to the tanner. Silently he followed the large man and his grateful apprentice to his shop, people hurrying out of their way and watching Malus warily.

The furs Tanis showed him were beautiful. There was a large, soft grisly bear pelt, big enough to cover half the floor in his cave. There was a white fox pelt that was warm and flexible. There were gloves with rabbit fur on the inside, a jacket with fleece on the inside to keep body heat contained, and a few deer-hide pants. Harry nodded approvingly, before pulling the thumb-sized ruby from his pocket and handing it to the tanner.

Tanis gaped at the precious stone in his hand, awed. He wondered if the child knew just how precious this stone was. He could but a lot of land, a large house, and herds of animals, and never have to work another day in his life. And this was only a small stone.

"I'm sure we'll have loads of business together," the boy said cheerfully, folding everything up and putting it into his bag. Tanis noticed that the bag still looked empty when he was done, but didn't say anything. "I'll be seeing you in a few days, I hope. For now, farewell, Mr. Gobs."

"Call me Tanis, Malus. I have a feeling that you're going to be my most prized customer very soon." The boy beamed up at him.

"Very well, Tanis. Bye!" He waved slightly, before taking off at a lazy trot, Dagger going ahead to sniff at something on the ground. Malus paused, picked up the small coin, and tossed it to a hungry looking child before resuming his jog.

"What an odd boy," Tanis murmured, admiring his ruby. He decided that he'd save most of it, but that he'd also buy things from far away for the boy witch. He had a feeling that Malus Lupus would appreciate hand-made items that were useful.

Asher was torn. Malus was a witch. But, said witch had saved his little sister, and brought her home. Witches were evil, vile creatures who'd rip out your throat as easily as they'd say hello. Malus disliked metal traps because they caused pain, and had gone out of his way to help. Witches were greedy, but Malus had just given his master a _ruby_ as if it were nothing but a shiny rock, and had given a street urchin enough money to buy himself three hot meals and a room for a week at the inn. Asher couldn't figure out what he was supposed to feel, but he knew one thing. Malus Lupus was nice, but could be vicious if prompted.

And Asher wasn't sure which one he was supposed to know…

Malus sighed as he shifted out of wolf form, shaking a bit of mud from his shoe. He pulled out the new fur things he'd gotten, and quickly set them about. He folded the bear pelt in half to use as a mattress, and put everything else in a hidden crevice that was large enough for him to walk in for five paces, but narrow enough that Dagger wasn't able to turn around properly, and had to walk out backwards.

Quickly, though, the two cave-dwellers were back outside, Malus once again a wolf. They ran through the tree's, looking for prey. They each caught a rabbit, and Malus even managed to get a fat quail and her nest of eggs. He quickly turned human so he could carry them all; Dagger had already returned to the cave to enjoy his well-earned rabbit.

As he was walking, Malus felt something shift in the air, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Quickly, his Magic rose, making him invisible. Something was happening, something big. Malus knew only one thing: Whatever it was, it could wait until after dinner. With this determined thought, the ten-year-old continued walking, staying invisible just in case.

**A/N:** Okay, I own Mary as well. Might as well say I own all of Shannon's Burg as well, since I do…. Well, Katie came up with the township and the people, but I came up with their names and personalities, so it was a group effort… Anyways, REVIEW!!!


	4. Three Strangers

**A/N:** Hellu!! How are y'allz today??? Anyone figure out what Malus Lupus means yet??? First to get it will get a character in the story!! XP

**Chapter Three**

**~*~**

It had been three months since the incident with Mary had happened. Tanis came by the clearing every Wednesday and Sunday with goods to trade. Malus had also started trading with the other shops in Shannon's Burg. He was soon a well-liked person, especially with the Fall's and the Gobs, but also with all the younger children. They looked up to him and saw him as a hero.

There were no more metal traps, but he kept patrolling for signs that someone had come to harm or planned it. That was how he came upon the strangers. There were three of them, two children-a boy and a girl-and an old man. The males were dressed in long black cloaks, like his, and both carried rowan staffs. He knew that rowan wood was something malevolent witches couldn't touch. He watched them while in his owl form, seeing as how the sun was setting. With a hoot, he fluttered away when the girl looked up at him.

She smelt of Magic, but it was different then his own. It had a taste of darkness to it, as if it had been abused before. But it seemed to be changing, slowly but surely, and his Magic told him it had something to do with the boy. Quickly, he flew to Shannon's Burg and transformed just before entering it. He didn't want everyone to know he could shift shape. It would do to have a few surprises up his sleeves if he was ever attacked. Quickly, he found Tanis at his shop, skinning the corpse of a freshly killed buck.

"There be strangers approaching from the north," he told the man, solemn. "A man and two children, but he be ready for a witch if ever one 'twas to be after him." In the months he'd been living and visiting Shannon, his speech had deteriorated into something less cultured that felt more natural. Tanis frowned slightly, before understanding lit his eyes.

"Ah, must be the Spook," he said calmly, nodding his head; Malus arched one thin black brow, waiting. "He's one of those that fight the dark to keep people safe. One of them children must be his apprentice. Don't know 'bout what the other one could possibly be for, though. Apprentices companion, most like." As Malus' speech had deteriorated, becoming less formal, Tanis's had as well, becoming more open and relaxed around him. They were friends, as strange as it seemed.

Malus had stopped giving the town's people rubies and other precious stones for the moment, and had instead gone to making their houses safe against evil and putting a ward around the entire place to keep evil from them. No one had died from a forest mishap since he had arrived. No longer did creatures of the dark sneak in and steal the villagers' children. Malus made sure of that. He never played with children his age, fitting in more with the adults. He was too jaded to relax and play. Dairius Fletcher, the town mayor of sorts, was a cynical man who trusted Malus's ideas and plans. He especially liked the fact that the boy-witch took his job of protecting the town _very_ seriously, even if he could be caught wrestling his wolf every once in a while when he was exceptionally bored.

"What they be doing here?" Malus asked warily. He wondered if someone in the village had finally gotten tired of him and wanted him gone. The thought made his chest clench with betrayal and an old loneliness. Tanis, seeming to sense his young friends dark thoughts, quickly answered him,

"You've not been in town for the last three days, Malus. Little Sarah Gilbert and Martha Susan went into the woods Thursday morning an never came back. Their parents went into hysterics when the hound dogs panicked and refused to go near the east side of the wood. An' the little one's Pap's were both raised believing tha' witches are the Devil's spawn." The tanner snorted at the last, even as Malus nodded. He knew that Thomas Gilbert and Aaron Susan would rather have him hanged then have him help. All the same, he wondered why Dairius hadn't told him.

With a sigh, he handed over a couple of coins and picked up a nice fox fur. He'd started collecting furs, covering his home with them. He also collected anything shiny, much like a Magpie, and he appreciated paintings. Not to mention his affinity with bones and claws and such as well. Having Dagger leaving skulls and such lying about made him grow used to the bright white things that littered his stone shelves.

"I best be leaving, Tanis. Dagger has been getting antsy of late. Restless, like. Might be the missing pups, now that I know about it. 'Twould make sense of his constant pacing.." Malus had also developed a taste for wolf-speak, in a way. He called children pups, old folk elders, and Dairius was the alpha. Shannon's Burg was his pack. He protected them. "Pass th' news of the Spook, will ya?" When the tanner nodded, Malus turned and left, waving back at the children who saw him, as well as their parents.

As soon as he was out of sight, he used his Magic to teleport him straight to his cave. He'd learned the ability to teleport just recently, and still found the feeling of being sucked down a long, thin tube to be disconcerting. Striding into the warded cave, he placed the newest fur with the many others, before settling down to wait for his constant companion to return from hunting. The young wolf had grown since that night when Malus had saved him.

Where as before, the wolf had been little more then a pup, barely reaching the young boy's waist, now he was giant among his kind. His large, broad and furry shoulders reached Malus' nose now, and his eyes were the same piercing green as his masters. He'd also gained a near inhuman speed and understanding of the human language do to the immense exposure he had with Magic. And, Malus had discovered that he could understand the wolf as well. Not as he would another human, with words, but with body language and emotions. He understood the little whines and growls and yips as if the wolf simply spoke in English. He found it much easier then having to guess what the wolf wanted all the time.

After ten minutes of waiting, the wolf returned with a large buck clamped easily in his jaws. Malus smiled at him, but he knew that it was tense. Dagger placed his meal on one of the furs and settled at his master's side.

"Two pups are missing," Malus told him, and Dagger growled in anger. "I know. They've been missing since Thursday." The look the wolf gave him was searching, worried. "Not little Mary, my friend. Our pup is safe." A question and anger replaced the worry. "I know, I was irritated to, that we were not informed. The pup's are Sarah and Martha, and you know how their Sire's are 'bout us witches." The wolf rolled his eyes; Malus smiled in agreement.

"They've called in a Spook. He arrived today, to the north." Dagger nodded, his left ear flicking in the direction and his eyes blinking twice in a row. He'd seen them. Malus nodded. "Apparently he's a good guy, though. Wonder how he'll like stayin' near this witch, eh?" He chuckled, and Dagger opened his mouth in a 'smile', showing off his white teeth, sharp as his namesake. Sharper, more like, seeing as how Malus' Magic made everything stronger and faster then it was meant to be if there was long-time exposure.

"Well, eat your meal, ya lazy thing. Afterward we'll be patrolling our side of the forest and looking for the pups. Might take all night, so be prepared." Dagger nodded, heaving his large, graceful body to his feet and returning to his deer. Malus liked the wolfs paws. They were bigger then his head and Daggers' jaws could crush a deer's skull with little resistance, as he proved while eating.

"You make a mess you clean it yourself," Malus warned before heading towards one of the back tunnels. He wound his way deeper and deeper into the earth, following a familiar path. After fifteen minutes, he entered a small cavern.

"Inside the cavern was a large stone platform with a comfortable looking chair sitting at it. Books of varying ages and loads of paper covered in his very own elegant print were scattered in a seemingly chaotic mass. Quills and ink bottles were among the mess. Calmly, Malus took a seat and dragged one thick, old book to him. It was in Greek, but he'd made it a necessity to learn all the languages he could, and was now fluent in seven, not counting English. They were Latin, Greek, French, German, Spanish, the Old Tongue, and something much older then even that. The last one was an accident.

A little into his first month, he'd come upon a strange creature in one of the tunnels. It was sick, dying and its Magic was too wild for his own to work on it. Malus had tried to help, but the creature had waved his efforts away and told him that it was useless. It had then told him that it had no reason to live, and that it would leave him it's knowledge, because he had tried to help it even though it was far from human.

It had touched his forehead, and, suddenly, centuries worth of knowledge in spells and curses had filled his head. And, finally, before he passes out from brain-overload, the creature had gifted him the Forgotten Tongue. It was a language spoken long before the Dark-Made-Flesh was created. Who exactly that was, Malus had no clue, but the language came with a price. His senses were morphed, heightened to beyond human. In essence, he was no longer a human witch, but something else. Something more; something dangerous. He could rip a heart from a man's chest, and would feel like he was reaching through the thinnest of papers. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Malus had discovered at that fateful day, that he had no need for such power for himself. He would use it, though, to protect the pups of Shannon's Burg. His Pack. He would kill for them, die for them. He would torture, mutilate; burn, rape, steal, and be their monster. He would do anything, _anything_, to keep them safe. And he'd not bow to any but himself to do so.

Sighing, he read the ancient tome before him, writing down the herb lore within it, learning potions and poisons alike. It was harder, because it was written in Greek, which, though fluent in, he had trouble reading. And the fact that the book was old and it's ink faded, didn't help.

Suddenly, his Magic gave off a tremor, similar to that of a small bell going off. Quickly, he stood, and headed for the cave mouth. Tanis was heading for the clearing, which meant he wanted to talk. Malus clicked his tongue softly as he left the cave, and Dagger instantly abandoned his meal and was at his side. Malus put a hairsbreadth of concentration into his Magic, and they were invisible. Silent and unseen, the two ran at inhuman speed, blurring the world around them to nothing more then a green-brown smear. They reached the clearing in minutes, where as before it would have taken them an hour, maybe two. The clearing was much closer to the town then it was their cave, so they didn't have long to wait before Tanis arrived, with others.

Standing with the tanner was a tall, barrel-chested, black-haired man with a severe face and large, serious, bushy eyebrows. That was Dairius, the mayor. Behind them, Malus was shocked to see, was the Spook and the two children, the girl fidgeting nervously and peering around herself at the woods. Malus realized that she sensed his residual Magic, and smiled slightly.

"Malus?" Tanis called, and, with a deep breath, he and Dagger stepped out of the tree's, becoming visible, as if they had walked out of the very air.

"Ya interrupted Dagger's dinner, Tanis," Malus said, patting the gargantuan wolf's shoulder cheerfully. "Now I'm goin' ta have to deal with him sulkin' all night." The wolf huffed at him and seemed to say 'I do not sulk'. Malus just smiled fondly. The ten-year-old gave the others behind the tanner a curious but wary look over.

The Spook was a scruffy, intimidating man with a bushy beard stained with gray and hard, dangerous eyes. The boy was about fourteen, maybe younger, with brownish hair and gray eyes with an inate gentleness to them, but also a wariness and the boy-witch could already tell that when his apprenticeship was over, he'd be a good person to have at your back. The girl had black hair and dark green eyes, with a heart shaped face and almond shaped eyes. She looked kind of nervous, and had moved a little closer to the boy. Malus finally turned his eyes to the Shannon's Burg Mayor, and let his sadness and hurt show as he met the mans' eyes.

"Dairius," was all he said; the man nodded back slowly, and Malus saw a hint of regret leak into his severe expression.

"Malus," he answered back in his quiet, serious voice. You'd expect a man so large and scary to have a deep rumbling voice, but he had a soft, quiet, nearly tenor-like voice that would set most people off guard.

"What do ya want, Tanis, Dairius?" the boy-witch finally said with a tired sigh, knowing his bright, glowing eyes had aged far more then any child's should. They were soldiers' eyes, the eyes of someone who'd seen too much but knew he'd see more, and worse, and were resigned to a life full of nightmares.

"This is Mr. Gregory, his apprentice Tom Ward, and their companion, Alice Deane," Dairius introduced; and Malus nodded to them, frowning slightly as the apprentice's name tickled something at the back of his mind. "They're here to find the missing children." Malus flinched slightly, and let the betrayal show in his eyes as he fastened them on the Mayor.

"Ah, yes, the pups who disappeared," he said softly, sadly. "The pups you didn't tell me had gone missing in my forest." Dairius looked away, ashamed and unable to meet those ancient, betrayed eyes. "The pups I'm meant to protect, who could be dead because their imbecilic fathers refused to have a witch find them." Malus's voice shook slightly at the 'dead' part, but hardened at the end. Dairius bowed his head silently, knowing he deserved whatever tongue lashing he got. Seeing this, Malus sighed. "It hurts you don't trust me, Dairius, after these long months. But, I shall put my own betrayal aside in this instance. Please do not abuse my trust again, Mayor." Dairius flinched at the title. He knew he'd hurt the boy if he'd reverted to his title instead of his given name.

"Malus," Tanis said hesitantly, looking unsure. The boy waved a hand as if brushing away cobwebs.

"Enough of this emotional stuff," he said, smiling slightly. He turned to the silent three, who watched the entire thing observantly. He gave them a bow. "Malus Lupus, at your service," he said cheerfully, smiling.

"I thought we were meeting a witch," Tom asked, confused and looking around, warily. Malus stifled a groan.

"I _am_ the witch," he said patiently, before using his Magic to teleport in front of the boy, making the girl shriek and stumble back. Dagger snickered; Malus gave Tom a curious look, forehead wrinkling in thought as the boy moved away from him carefully, fearfully.

"Tom Ward," Malus said, frowning. "Where have I heard that name? Tom Ward," he muttered, turning his back to walk over to his wolf slowly, muttering the name over and over again. He looked at Dagger, confused and frowning. "Dagger, where have I heard his name before?" The wolf cocked his head to the side, before understanding that was more human then wolf lit his eyes and he nudged Malus' pocket. Instantly, Malus remembered and grinned, pulling the wrinkled and unopened letter from his pocket. It was the one Mam had given him when she'd sent him here.

"Tom Ward!" He exclaimed, whirling around with a triumphant grin, green eyes sparkling with glee, the letter held up in the air like a trophy. Quickly he strode over and held it out, beaming. "Your Mam gave me this, and I totally forgot about it. We met just before I got here, three months back." The other boy hesitantly took the letter, and read the front. "I met your aunts to, by the way," Malus added, noticing that the other boy, the girl, and the Spook all stiffened at that.

"My aunts?" Tom asked warily; Malus nodded cheerfully.

"The feral Lamia witches with wings? Yup! They tried to eat me, but we came to an understanding." He smiled, as if people with wings and snake-like features tried to eat him all the time. Tom swallowed weakly, before nodded.

"Yes, they're a bit too… Enthusiastic, sometimes," he offered tentatively, unsure. Malus beamed at him for his efforts, before turning to Tanis and Dairius.

"Now that that's done, why are ya here 'stead of searching for Sarah and Martha?" He asked; it was the Spook who answered in a gruff, slightly hoarse, voice.

"We need your expertise on this," he said, his dark eyes telling Malus just how much he disliked the idea. "Apparently, no one knows these woods as well as you do." Malus stared at him with ancient, intelligent eyes, as if he were seeing into his very soul. Slowly, he smiled, eyes warming with understanding and friendliness.

"Let's get started then, shall we?" He asked; Dagger yipped, wagging his tail. This was going to be interesting…

**A/N:** And so enters the Spook and his Last Apprentice. I know Alice is a bit OOC, but if you could sense Malus's immense power simply by it's after taste, of sorts, you'd be nervous as well!!! Anyways, Review, plz. We love reviews.


	5. Spooks Request and Aha!

**A/N:** Whoo-Hoo!!! XP My big sis, Katie (Also, my co-profiler. She writes things &'ll put them on here later) she's sick. She got Mono from her boyfriend. HA!!!!

**Katie: **(Beats little sister upside head with a chair) Bloody fecking hell, Kaira, get over yourself and just write the damn story!! Hi, everybody. I'm Katie, and Kaira saved this chapter on my laptop, so I get ta add some stuff! YAY ME!! And I DID NOT get Mono from my boyfriend! Anywhoo, here's her story. Review or you'll face my wrath.

PS – Congrats to our Reviewer Amber-Eyez456!!! That is exactly what Harry/Malus' name means. You get a character!! YAY!! Now, do you want a boy or a girl? Good or evil? What name do you want them to have??? XP

**Chapter Four**

**~*~**

Malus stared blankly at the Spook for a few seconds.

"You want to come with me… To my house," he said slowly, disbelieving. Mr. Gregory nodded stiffly. "No one comes to my house," he said flatly, eyes blank. Dagger growled lowly at his side. "My house is my safe haven. No one knows where it is, and I'd prefer it stay that way, Mr. Gregory." The Spook scowled.

"We all have things we want, Lupus," he said icily. "We all want to find those two little girls before some witch drains them of blood." He gave Malus a pointed look at that, and the boy felt his Magic rise with his rage.

"You think I'd go after the pups," he hissed, fury in ever syllable. He snarled when the Spook merely gave him a cool look. With a sound more dog then human, Malus spun around and slammed his palms into the trunk of a large, thick oak, pushing his Magic into it before he hurt someone. The tree was vaporized instantly, leaving nothing but the strong smell of burnt wood behind. Malus stood there, hands now clenched into fists at his side, eyes screwed shut and trying to calm himself. Dagger was growling behind him, snarling and just waiting for his Master's word to attack.

"Enough, Dagger," Malus murmured, and the gargantuan wolf hesitated, before whining lowly and coming to his side. Malus wrapped his arms around the wolfs shoulders and buried his face in his fur, breathing deeply, calming down.

"Mr. Gregory," he finally said, pulling his face away to give the man a tired stare. "My nerves are already stretched, worrying about the pups. I suggest you don't bait me, please, or I might do something I would sincerely regret. I have offered you no violence, and if I have unknowingly insulted you, I apologize, but right now you should be more focused on the witch who has the children. Not the witch trying to find them." With that, he turned his back and started walking. "If you're coming, then hurry up," he called tiredly. "I don't want to argue.

Silently, the three followed him, all thinking about the sheer power the boy before them possessed. It was a power the Spook thought gravely, that the Fiend would do anything to have. He'd have to watch the boy carefully, and make sure that he didn't turn toward the dark. Malus led them silently to his cave, pausing in front of it and turning to face them.

"Beyond this point, you will not be able to tell anyone where my home is," he told them calmly. "You can lead them to this very spot, every time, and never find it. My Magic protects it, and my Magic can be surpassed by only one or two people on this world. You Mam is one, Tom," he added as an afterthought, turning to his home. Dagger huffed and walked straight in, returning to his deer, but politely moving it away from the furs so that no blood got on them. Softly, Malus chanted the spell that would allow the three people to see it. The children gasped as the large cave seemingly appeared out of no where.

"You can come in, now," Malus said calmly, glancing at them coolly. "You can use my food supply to make something for yourselves, but I need to go to my study and search for a spell that'll help us locate the pups." With that, he strode in, patting Dagger on the head as he passed. Tom ran after him, though.

"Wait," he said; Malus turned and waited. "My Master say's I'm to go with you," he winced slightly. "Sorry," he said softly, for Malus's ears only. The boy-wizard smiled slightly.

"It's alright, pup," Malus said softly, his speech relaxing around the other boy. "Mayhap you'll find something of interest here, eh?" He chuckled, leading the boy into his study's secret passage and walking on.

"So…" Tom started, feeling slightly claustrophobic. "You live here alone?" Malus sent him a cheerful smile over his shoulder.

"Yup, just me and Dagger. Like it that way, we do. Much quieter." Tom nodded absently, eyes catching a faint glitter on the wall. Looking closer, he gasped softly.

"Quartz," he whispered, awed; Malus paused and smiled at him.

"Plenty of that stuff lying about," he told him. "As well as rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, gold, and such. All over some of my more secure tunnels." Tom stared at him as they walked.

"Y-you've got a lot of tunnels then?" The apprentice-Spook asked meekly, still shocked. Malus nodded cheerfully.

"Twelve in the main cavern, six of which lead to smaller caverns. The other six lead to more tunnels, which lead to more. They go all over the Country. My Magic keeps most of the malevolent things at bay, though. Must be a powerful witch that's stealing pups from me," his voice turned into an angry growl.

"Um, why do you keep calling them pups?" Tom asked carefully, not wanting to be vaporized like the tree had been. Malus shrugged.

"Dagger has a bit of influence on my thinking habits," he said honestly. "It's not like we can control each other or send each other mental messages or anything like that. More like gut instincts and habits melding a bit, ya know? Kinda like close siblings." Tom nodded warily, and stared around himself in shock as they entered the 'study'.

"Where is it?" Malus muttered, moving through the countless books, trying to find the one with the spell in it. Not having any luck, he set about searching through his notebooks. Tom helped, but he was much slower at it.

"Aha!" Malus shouted, making Tom jump. "I found it! Though, it's a wonder I'd forgotten it, seeing as how it's in the Forgotten Tongue and such. I hardly ever forget anything in that language," he continued to ramble on with random thoughts, gazing at the spell and memorizing it carefully. "Well, that's really easy," he murmured, pouting slightly.

"Erm, what?" Tom asked uncertainly, his head filled with confusing thoughts do to the random ramblings of the boy-witch.

"What? Oh, well, I'll wait to explain it until we're back in the main cavern. Don't feel much up to repeating it twice," and with that, he grabbed the older boy by the arm and teleported them to the main cavern.

They appeared in front of the other two, both staggering, Tom positively green. Malus sent him an apologetic look.

"Sorry," he said sincerely, concerned. "I forget what it's like the first time, teleporting. I passed out the first time I did it, if it's any consolation," he told the thickly swallowing boy, who sat down with his head between his knees, trying not to throw up.

"Never," Tom said vehemently, raising his head to meet Malus's glowing eyes. "_Never_ do that to me again, understand?" Malus nodded vigorously, sheepish.

"Sorry," he said again; Tom just shuddered and hid his head again.

"What did you find out?" Mr. Gregory demanded; Malus held up the journal.

"I found the spell. Luckily, it's in the Forgotten Tongue, which means-" Mr. Gregory interrupted.

"The Forgotten Tongue? I've never heard of that. What is it?" Malus gave him a dry look.

"Of course you've never heard it, silly. It's the 'forgotten' Tongue because it was forgotten. As for what it is, the only thing I can tell you is that it's from the time before the Dark-Made-Flesh walked the Earth. Who the Dark-Made-Flesh _is_, I couldn't tell you." The Spook scowled disbelievingly.

"You don't know…" He stopped himself, and shook his head. Malus gave him a curious look, before shrugging. He'd figure it out later.

"Anyway, this spell will basically allow us to find the girls as long as we have some way to track them. The difference between just tracking them and doing this is that this takes us the fastest way to the closest person we're looking for. It was meant to help Demons find their runaway servants, or, st least, that's what it says," Malus muttered, rereading the page as the Spook stared at him.

"That's black Magic," he said coldly; Malus noticed Alice look away.

"No," he corrected gently. "Black Magic needs a blood or life sacrifice. Most spells that don't require any form of sacrifice all depend on the intent of the caster. If you intend to do harm, you are doing _dark_ Magic, not Black. If you intend to do something good, you're doing _light_, not White, Magic. There is a difference between Dark and Black Magic, as well as Light and White Magic, but we have no time to get into that discussion at the moment."

"That's all fine and good," Alice said skeptically. "But what about that Tracking thing we need? We ain't got anything to track 'em by, now do we?" Malus gave her a dry look and pointed at a dozing Dagger, who had kindly left behind a couple of vertebrae for Malus to add to his growing bone collection.

"His nose is stronger then any natural wolf's nose now. Don't ask me how it happened, 'cause I don't know." Alice closed her mouth and sulked.

"How long will this take?" The Spook demanded; Malus checked the book.

"A minute, maybe more. And don't worry," he said dryly, "if this spell is cast with dark purposes in mind, then only the caster, and _not_ the people with him/her, will suffer the consequences." Mr. Gregory nodded warily, clearly not liking the idea but willing to try.

"Right," he said, heaving himself to his feet. "Let's get this over with." Malus nodded cheerfully, before he began to chant in the Forgotten Tongue, which no human throat would normally be able to speak. But, then again, Malus has never been normal…

**A/N:** There y'allz go!! Enjoy! And Amber-Eyez456, please answer our questions or we'll just wing it and make up a character for our own purposes and entertainment… XP R&R


	6. Search and Rescue

**A/N:** Hey my faithful Readers!! Okay, Amber-Eyez456, a few more questions about your character. Do you want him to be alive for the sequel (if it happens) or would you mind if he died? Do you want him to have a major role or do you want him to be a mystery participant? Do you want him to be straight or gay or do you not care whichever we choose??? Answer these, and He'll most likely pop in a few Chapters from now. Luv y'allz!! XP

R&R!

**Chapter Five**

**~*~**

Malus led the way into town, eye glazed over from the spell. Dagger, in very much the same condition as his Master, walked silently beside him. Tom was worried about them both of them, Alice was thinking about the spell, and the Spook merely watched them distrustfully, wondering if it was some sort of trap.

They entered the town, and people moved out of their way quickly. The Gilberts and the Susans stood in the center of town, the mothers had tears in their eyes. The two fathers, though, were stony faced and cold, glaring at them as they approached. Malus ignored them, and instead went to the mothers, murmuring soothingly to them, hugging them both gently.

"We'll find them and bring them home," he told them firmly, his glazed eyes determined. "No matter what, okay?" They nodded, wiping away their tears. They gave him a toy that both girls had adored. Malus sniffed it, and then held it out to Dagger to sniff. The wolf whined softly; the boy-witch patted his head understandingly. "Thank you," he murmured, handing the doll back. They both nodded, hugging the doll between them, faces pale and eyes bruised from lack of sleep and too much worrying.

"Follow me," Malus called to the Spook, before taking off at a fast walk. Dagger growled and started trotting as they entered the forest again. Fifteen minutes later, Malus stumbled, his breath hissing out. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Quickly, he started running, slowly picking up speed, knowing that Alice would be able to follow his scent to find him. They were soon out of the Spook's sight, and running full speed, until they found something that made them freeze.

They were in a small clearing. In the middle of it was one of the little girls, lying on the ground. She wasn't moving; her chest didn't rise or fall. Her blond hair was thick with mud and blood, and he blue eyes stared at them unseeing, glazed with death. He face was peaceful, but they could both smell the remnants of terror in the air.

"No," Malus whispered, staring into the dead blue eyes of Sarah Gilbert. He stepped into the clearing and fell to his knees, tears sliding down his cheeks. He reached out one trembling hand and touched the dead girls forehead, moving her blood-soaked hair off her face. He throat had been slit. Dagger had his tail between his legs and his ears pinned back, cringing on the ground, whimpering. Malus touched the pale, cold cheek gently, a tear drop falling onto it and sliding down, making it look as if she were crying.

"No. Nonononono, no," he whispered over and over again, not noticing when the Spook and the others came. Tom flinched violently, and Alice looked away, hiding her face in the boys shoulder. The Spook watched on grimly, waiting.

It took Malus five minutes before he could stand again, and when he looked at them, his eyes slightly red from crying, they took a step back. He _breathed_ and unforgiving power and fury, his green eyes swirling with green flames, and in that moment, they were afraid of him. More afraid then when they had faced the Fiend, even, and _he_ was the Devil!

"They will not leave this forest alive," he said softly, his voice reverberating with power, making the fine hairs on their bodies stand on end. "They will not leave this world peacefully. They will answer for their crimes by my hand and will." Dagger stood at his side, wisps of shadows seeming to drift from his fur, his eyes glowing like his Masters. "We are Judge. We are Jury. We are Executioner." Malus' voice drifted on the very air, and the woods around them became eerily silent, the animals afraid to draw attention to themselves.

"Come," Malus said, turning his back and heading into the forest. "We shall return for her body once these creatures are dealt with." Silently, the Spook and others followed him, skirting around the little girls body respectfully. They had to run to keep up with the boy-witch, but they managed this time. It was half an hour later that they came upon a cave. Malus never hesitated; he strode straight in with Dagger at his side, his power making it possible to see in the pitch black as they traveled deep underground

They heard sobbing soon, though, as well as someone cackling. Dagger growled lowly as they came to a large wooden door. Malus never paused, merely glared at the door and, with a burst of Magic, it exploded into splinters. The witch whirled from where she's been about to kill Martha. She was an ugly woman, with greasy and matted black hair, wild red-glowing eyes, sickly skin, and Paraná-like teeth. Her nails were long and sharp, black with rot, and her clothes were stained and torn. She held a knife in her hands, and hissed at them as Malus and Dagger stepped into the room, the others on their heels.

"What exactly did you plan to do with that blade, milady?" Malus asked in a poisoned-honey voice that made those behind him shudder slightly. The witch sneered at him.

"I was gonna slit her pretty little throat. Bleed her out like a pig," the witch crowd, cackling madly, before throwing the blade at them. It froze midair in front of Malus's face; the witch's eyes widened in shock and fear as it melted and fell to the ground in silent silver droplets.

"I see," Malus said calmly, stepping slowly towards the woman.

"What are you?" she whispered, stepping back, fear filling her eyes as his power fully registered to her. His green eyes glowed brighter.

"I am your End," he said softly, continuing to get closer. "I am Malus Lupus, and you have trespassed in my territory. You have killed one of those that was mine, and had plans to do so again." The witch fell to her knees, cringing; Malus stopped directly in front of her, gaze cold and dead. "That is unforgivable." The witch let out an animal-like sound of terror as he gently stroked her hair. She looked up at him in terror.

"Please," she whispered; Malus smiled tenderly.

"How much did Sarah beg before you killed her?" He asked soothingly, his fingers tightening in her hair, holding her head immobile as he knelt down so they were eye-to-eye. "How much did Martha beg before you had to chain her up and gag her?" He smiled, and moved before the witch had time to realize what he was doing. She choked as his hand thrust into her chest and wrapped around her still beating heart. The boy-witch met her eyes coldly, still smiling that tender smile as he yanked out the pulsing organ, watching the life leave those wide, horrified red eyes.

Malus stood, letting the witch's corpse fall to the ground. Carelessly, he tossed the heart to Dagger, who ate it in one great bite. Using his Magic, Malus cleaned himself of blood. Quickly, he unchained Martha and held the sobbing eight-year-old to his chest, murmuring softly as she clung to him. He carried her over to the Spook. They stared at each other for a few moments, before Malus slowly passed the sobbing child to the older man. It was a show of trust, and Mr. Gregory recognized it as such and nodded slightly.

They traveled back in silence, Tom and Alice wondering how the playful, cheerful boy they'd met earlier could simply rip a heart from a living persons chest and feed it to his wolf without even a blink of an eye. The Spook was secretly relieved to have the boy on their side, and thought about how the boy had reacted to the dead child. Martha was only thinking one thing over and over again: Malus the witch had saved her life.

They reached the clearing and Dagger stood in such a way that it blocked Martha's view of Sarah's body. Malus peeled off his black cloak and covered the body gently before picking it up and continuing

They entered the town as the sun was beginning to set. The two mothers cried out when they saw them, collapsing into tears of relief. This changed, though, when they caught sight of the cloak-covered body of Sarah. Martha's mother rushed to her daughter, hugging her tightly and saying her name over and over again, crying. Mrs. Gilbert stared blankly as Malus came over to her, his head bowed. Silently, he placed her daughters body in her arms, and sank to the ground with her as she collapsed, sobbing. He held her, whispering over and over again about how they were too late. After a few minutes, Mrs. Susan joined them, hugging her friend close as they both mourned the loss of a child.

"Who did this? Who hurt my little girl?" Mrs. Susan cried, sobbing. Malus closed his eyes, before opening them and looking into hers.

"A witch," he said softly, and anger flared in her eyes.

"Is she alive?" She demanded; Malus smiled viciously.

"No. I made sure she would never harm a child ever again, ma'am." That seemed to pacify her, though, and she nodded, offering him a weak smile, before all three of them stood. Mr. Susan tried to go to his wife, but she moved away from him, angry.

"It's your fault!" She shouted, more tears trailing down her pale cheeks as she clutched her daughters body closer. "If you had just gone to Malus and asked him for help, we could have gotten her back alive! But no, you have to rely on the teachings of old men and women who are afraid of their own shadows! Does this boy look evil to you, Thomas? The little boy who killed the one who killed our daughter, something you couldn't do?" Mr. Gilbert flinched and looked away. "Just go, Thomas," she whispered, turning her back. "I don't want to see you for a while." Silently, the man did as she bid, turning and stalking away. Mrs. Gilbert let out a sob, before shaking her head. As Mrs. Susan went to comfort her, Mr. Susan went over and stood in front of Malus. The boy-witch stared up into his gray eyes and waited patiently.

"I don't know what you did," he finally rasped, "but thank you for finding them. Thank you," he murmured again, before holding out his hand. Malus stared him in the eyes, before taking his hand and gripping it reassuringly.

"I would do anything to protect children, Mr. Susan," Malus said firmly; Mr. Susan stared down at him for a few moments, before slowly nodding.

"Yes, I believe you would," he murmured, before going back to his wife and her friend, and leading them to the church. Their daughter would be buried in the cemetery, on holy ground.

Malus walked away from everyone, Dagger at his side. He walked straight to the Fall's house, knocked on the door, and asked Mrs. Fall if he could see Mary. The little girl came bounding over to him, beaming. Silently, he fell to his knees and wrapped her in a tight hug. The little girl said nothing, just cuddling close and hugging him back. Malus buried his face in her hair, kissing her head as tears fell slowly down his face and his body shook. Mrs. Fall left them alone, knowing that the boy-witch took comfort in her little girls presence. She gave Dagger some of the left-over dinner and made sure that the two children weren't set upon.

An hour later, when she went to get Mary for bed, she found her little girl and the boy-witch curled up and asleep against Dagger's side, the gargantuan wolf staring out into the night, watching over them. She had her husband carry the boy-witch as she carried her daughter, and had him set the boy in the guest room. Dagger remained outside, standing guard all night.

**A/N:** WEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! There y'allz go!! Hope ya enjoyed it. Review Plz!!


	7. Promise and Asking Permission

**A/N:** Yay!! Amber-Eyez456, you character is now being created!! He'll show up either this chapter, or the next. Not sure yet! XP

**Chapter Six**

**~*~**

Malus awoke to soft whimpers. Instantly, his eyes opened and locked onto the little girl standing in the doorway. Without hesitation, he lifted the blanket and patted the bed. Mary didn't hesitate; she darted into the room and dove into the bed. Malus's arms wrapped tightly around her as she buried her head in his chest, crying softly.

"Don't ever die!" She sobbed. "Never, ever!" Malus shushed her gently, stroking her head and kissing her hair.

"What's brought this on, my pup?" he asked softly, holding her tighter.

"Sarah died and Martha almost died. Don't you ever leave me like they did! Ever!" She shouted, before collapsing into deep-chested sobs. Malus pulled her closer, upset, whispering to her over and over again,

"I won't ever leave without a fight, Mary. Promise to you, I won't ever leave without a fight." He kissed her forehead when she looked up at him. "If I ever have to leave, I'll come and say goodbye. And if I can, I'll take you with me, alright pup?" She stared up at him, sniffling.

"Promise?" she asked softly; Malus nodded, kissing her forehead again.

"Promise. You're my pup, little one. How could I ever leave you?" Mary nodded, comforted in the knowledge that her boy-witch protector wouldn't abandon her. They swiftly fell asleep, neither noticing Mrs. Fall's shadow leaving the doorway quietly.

**~*~**

The afternoon saw the Spook and his two children preparing to leave, having not seriously been needed in the town at all. Malus saw them off, walking them to the edge of the forest in the fastest route. He shook Mr. Gregory's hand, hugged Alice, and stared into Tom's eyes for a few seconds, before hugging him as well. As they were hugging, he whispered in the older boys' ear, for him alone,

"If ever you wish to speak, merely whisper my name into the night, and I shall come to you. Should ever you need help, kiss your palm and place it against a wall or tree, and help shall come. I have a great many allies, and none shall harm you, Thomas Ward. My word on that," he let go of the boy and stepped back, smiling. He gave Alice a playful wink, the Spook a head nod, and once more stared into Tom's startled eyes before both boys nodded. Then, he turned and teleported back to the Fall's home, confident that Tom would take his words to heart.

He spent the next three days with the Fall's, hardly ever leaving Mary's side, always watchful and protective of the young girl. Though he hadn't shown it since his little breakdown, Sarah's death and Martha's close call had shaking the boy-witch. He became even more protective of the children of Shannon's Burg, and patrolled the entire forest now. He had snakes and birds as spy's, wondering all over the woods and looking for anything that could harm his pups.

Finally, though, he reluctantly returned to his cave, and began reading more and patrolling twice a day, determined to let nothing pass through without his knowledge. And so, it was while he was eating lunch, that he was interrupted by one of his spies.

Juanita was a Magical serpent from Spain, whose Mistress had died giving birth to twins. Both of which died in a plague. She was six feet long with black and blue scales, piercing yellow eyes, and two sets of retractable fangs. One with a severely deadly poison, and the other with a mild sedative that could knock a full grown man out for hours.

"_There's a man who is not a man waiting permission to enter the woods, Master,"_ the snake hissed in her musical voice, and Malus nodded, finishing his meal.

"_What do you mean by a man who's not a man, Juanita my dear?"_ He hissed back curiously, standing up and banishing the suddenly clean plates back to their places. The snake lifted her blue-black head, making the sunlight shimmer on it, sparkling.

"_He looks like a man, but does not smell of it. He is not a He, but something Juanita cannot place, Master."_ Malus frowned slightly, curious. He picked the majestic snake up carefully, before heading out, Dagger at his side. He made them invisible, and the world blurred as he and his world darted through the trees. They stopped just inside the trees, and peered out at the man standing there.

He was tall, over six feet. He had ruffled looking black hair that just reached his ears. He looked about thirty, give or take a few years. He radiated a muted kind of malice, as if he was trying not to scare people, but didn't really care if he did or not. Malus saw, with amused curiosity, that he had one blue eye and one brown. The blue one seemed to be a swirling mixture of all blues, and seemed to look at everything without moving. Malus frowned slightly. This man was definitely not human. With that thought in mind, he and Dagger stepped from the shadows and became visible, standing in front of him. He jerked back a step, startled slightly, before Malus smiled at him.

"My servant informs me you seek passage," the boy-witch said calmly, stroking a hand over the Spanish snakes' triangle-like head, making her hiss in pleasure. The man swallowed slightly, his wary eyes on Dagger. Malus could understand it. After all, the wolf would have reached the mans' sternum, if they stood close enough.

"Your servant?" the man asked warily, finally turning his mix-matched eyes onto the boy-witch. Malus nodded, tilting his head to rub his cheek over Juanita's soft scales.

"Yes. I am the protector of these woods. It is a sanctuary, of sorts, for those who seek protection from outside forces. Of course," he added icily, eyes sharp. "The township and it's people are also under my protection, no matter if they leave the town or not." The man nodded carefully, before dropping into a low bow.

"My name is Arthas Nightmare. I ask safe harbor in your woods, milord." Malus observed the man silently, before nodding thoughtfully.

"Very well, though you shall need to answer a few questions, Mr. Nightmare." Arthas nodded warily; Malus couldn't help but chuckle, amused. "Do not worry, nothing incriminating, I assure you. How did you know you needed permission to enter my woods?" The man hesitated before standing straight again.

"Word travels fast, milord. There are rumors that you killed a witch for hunting in your territory without your permission." Malus nodded, eyes icy.

"It is true, though I must admit; it was more of the fact that she killed a pup of my village that I killed her. Anyways, onto the next question. What are you, exactly?" Malus observed that the man flinched slightly and gritted his teeth. "I mean no insult, Arthas," he soothed calmly. "I am merely curious as to who and what I'm letting into my territory." The man nodded, before answering.

"My mother was a witch, and my father was a Dark Fae." Malus blinked curiously.

"An Unseelie Sidhe and a witch? Malevolent or no?" Arthas nodded.

"Malevolent. Mother was fond of Familiar Magic." Malus nodded again, that away for later.

"So, you are malevolent as well then?" At the nod, Malus continued. "Do you have a preferred Magic, or do you rely on something else?" Arthas hesitated, biting his lip, before answering.

"I prefer my Fae Magic then Mothers. Father was a Slaugh. He could see into peoples souls and play on their greatest fears and their dreams. His mother was a Kelpie, so he could take on the form of a horse. I've inherited both of these powers," he said, pointing to his swirling blue eye. "I'll try not to use it on you and yours, my lord, but sometimes I can see without touching and without meaning to see at all." Malus nodded understandably, before gesturing for him to follow him, and leading into the trees.

"So, you are wearing Glamour's?" He asked curiously; Arthas shook his head.

"No, milord. I gained my Mothers human appearance and my Father's powers." Malus smiled slightly.

"Any abhorrence to Iron?" Again, Arthas shook his head. "My, you were a lucky fellow." Arthas smiled ruefully.

"Perhaps not-so-lucky, milord. Mother died giving birth to me, Father abandoned me for the Hunt. Grandmother, my Kelpie one, that is, took me in. She taught me the Kelpie trade, which I do not mind much at all, but also the Slaugh trade." Malus nodded slightly, his mind whirling.

"I think I have somewhere you can live, where I don't have to worry about you eating my pups and you don't have to worry about being found by whoever is after you," he said calmly, smiling. "Tell me, Arthas, what do you eat?" The half-Fae blushed slightly.

"Ah, sexual energy, mostly milord." Malus gave him a look that said to continue, and so he did. "My mother had a bit of Succubus in her, and passed on the need for sexual energy to me. I can survive on food, a deer or something of the like if I can't get humans, but it is not as… Filling, I should say," he finished, blushing slightly; Malus shook his head in wonder.

"You're just a whole bunch of things, aren't you, Arthas Nightmare?" The half-Fae smiled at him slightly, before Malus stopped and let Juanita slide to the ground. _"Thank you, my friend,"_ he hissed to her; she nodded and left after giving Arthas one last curious look. Then Malus moved with inhuman speed towards the cave, Arthas just barely keeping up. Malus paused before the entrance, letting the half-Fae catch his breath. It seemed that he had also gained his Mothers need for air, Malus observed, smiling slightly.

"Past this point lay my home. It is well protected, and once you've gone in, you can tell no one of it's whereabouts, and cannot enter without my permission," the boy-witch said calmly; Arthas nodded warily, staring at the 'wall'. "What do you see, Arthas?" The half-Fae frowned slightly.

"I see a wall… But it's not a wall. It shimmers slightly." The half-Fae shut his brown eye, and his blue eye glowed brightly, before dimming again. "It's got a Glamour and is warded, very heavily, my lord." Malus nodded, pleased.

"Welcome to my home," he said, before uttering the spell that would allow the half-Fae entrance. He led the way in, Dagger at his side and Arthas at his heals. The wolf plopped right down in front of the fire, yawning. Malus patted him on the head as they passed, leading the half-Fae into a hidden tunnel, and down, deep into the earth, to the chamber with the glowing green fungus and the underground lake.

"I'm not sure if it leads anywhere," Malus said, turning to the half-Fae, only to be startled with what he found. Arthas was eagerly stripping off his tunic and leggings, and merely tossing his small bag into a corner. Malus couldn't help but notice that the older man had an impressive body, which made him blush and cough slightly, clearing his throat. Now fully naked, Arthas offered him a smug smirk, before diving into the water. Not even seconds later, the upper-body of a large black stallion with a white main and a familiar set of mix-matched eyes emerged, one hoof on the shore.

"Erm, right," Malus said softly, unable to keep himself from admiring the Kelpie side of the half-Fae. "Well, you can have this as your chamber. You can come up to the main one to get food, if you wish. If any other Kelpies or water elementals come here, though, you'll have to share, alright?" He warned; Arthas-the-horse whinnied and bobbed his head before disappearing into the dark water again. Malus sighed softly with amusement before leaving the cavern. This was going to be interesting…

**A/N: **There y'allz go! How do you like your character, Amber-Eyez456? Lolz! Okay, now for the Vocabulary of this Chapter…

**Kelpie: **A supernatural Water Elemental which takes the form of a horse; malevolent. Kelpies are known for tricking tired travelers onto there backs and taking them out into deep water, where they drown and then eat their victims. Can also take the shape of incredibly beautiful men/women.

**The Wild Hunt: **The night hunt by the Slaugh with their terrible hounds. They are said to kidnap humans they encounter during their rides.

**The Slaugh (slooa/The Host: **Scotland. The host of the Unforgiven Dead or Pagan ancestors. The most formidable of the Highland faeries.

**Incubus**: A male demon that feeds on energy gained from sexual release during intercourse. Some believe that having intercourse with this creature, or with it's female counterpart, the Succubus, can lead to either the loss of ones soul or the slow deterioration of health, leading to an untimely death.

**Glamour:** A Magic that can be a Spell, Potion, or simply used by a Fae. Humans with no Fae blood in them or who are not in possession of a Glamour-Stone cannot see through these.

**Glamour-Stone:** A stone soaked in a potion that allows the possessor to see through Glamour and Invisibility Cloaks. Natural Invisibility spells or abilities it can't see through, though.

**Iron:**__Iron weakens a Fae's Magic. If in contact with Iron for too long, a Fae can die. Used in torture when the victim is a Fae. A few Fae, like Gremlins and other metal-inclined Fae, can stand long bouts of Iron exposure, but often gain a weakness in some other form, such as fire, water, tears, and the such.

**Gremlins:** Creatures who work well with all types of metal and precious stones. Can make all sorts of weapons, but adore causing mischief with Human creations. Are weak against salt and earth from a holy place. Often riddle users, who won't answer any questions unless posed in a certain way or unless they rhyme.


	8. Interesting Conversations

**A/N:** Hey y'allz. Did ya like that last chapter? I'll probably be adding more Fae into this fic later. They've always fascinated me. Personally, I've always liked the Unseelie to the Seelie. The Seelie are a bunch of hypocrites. We're ALL monsters, even if we're beautiful. Deal with it. Don't abhor someone just because they've a disfigurement or like pain with their pleasure, and prefer blood to chocolate. I mean really…. Anyways, R&R!!

**Chapter Seven**

**~*~**

Malus stretched with a yawn, blinking open sleepy eyes. He sat up on his fur bed and stared out of the cave entrance, watching the sky turn a pinkish-yellow as dawn arrived. Standing, he quickly set about making breakfast for himself, Dagger, and Arthas.

The gargantuan wolf suddenly lifted his head and sniffed the air, before getting to his feet with narrowed eyes. Malus looked at him curiously as the wolf darted from the cave, before shrugging. If it had been because of something dangerous, he'd have growled, the boy-witch reasoned, finishing the leg of deer he'd been cooking. Quickly, he cut it in three pieces, leaving the largest and rarest piece for Dagger when he returned and the mostly burnt piece for himself. He took the medium rare but large piece of deer down through the tunnels and into the lake-chamber.

"Arthas? I brought something for you to eat," he called over the water, and watched as the mans human head appeared out of the water near the shore, smiling.

"Thank you, milord," the half-Fae said, climbing butt-naked out of the water to sit cross-legged on the shore and eat his meal. Malus found himself blushing faintly, unable to take his eyes off the half-Fae, until a loud howl echoed from the main chamber down to them. Frowning, he nodded farewell to Arthas and ran up to the main chamber to see what was wrong.

What he found startled him, to say the least. There with Dagger was another wolf, obviously female. She was a mixture of whites, from snow white to off-white to silver to a pure, glowing white. Her eyes were a pale, icy blue and stared at him with an all-knowing intelligence. What startled Malus the most, though, were the large, glowing white angel-like wings on her back, lying against her flanks.

"Wow," he murmured, walking closer slowly, trying not to startle the she-wolf as she leaned against Dagger's flank. She was half his size and only came up to Malus' stomach. "Aren't you a beauty?" he murmured, reaching out to brush his fingertips over one of her wings. She watched him warily, eyes slightly narrowed until Dagger nipped her ear gently. "Have you gone and found yourself a mate, Dagger?" The wolf nodded, chest puffing out in smug satisfaction; Malus smiled softly.

"She'll be staying here, then?" he asked; again, Dagger nodded. Malus smiled warmly at the she-wolf. "Welcome to the pack," he murmured, before gaining a thoughtful look. "What shall I call you?" he wondered, frowning slightly, before smiling again. "I know! Sheath, because you're Dagger's and he's yours. Every blade needs someone to protect them, and in turn to protect." Sheath looked at him, before leaning forward and giving him a tentative lick on the cheek. Malus turned his head and kissed her cheek in return, smiling as he led the two wolves to the fire. Dagger split his breakfast with the she-wolf, and Malus made more for them in celebration.

"Who's that?" Arthas asked, stepping out of the shadows of the tunnel. Malus sent him a smile, noticing with relief that he was wearing pants.

"That's Daggers new mate, Sheath." The half-Fae gave her a respectful nod.

"She's a Faerie Wolf, milord," he said calmly, settling next to Malus on one of the many pelts. "Any cubs they have are going to be very interesting colors." Malus gave him an amused look.

"That's just fine," he told the half-Fae, giving him more deer. The half-Fae liked it medium-rare, while Malus preferred it full cooked, but not crispy.

"Do you like the lake?" Malus asked him curiously; the half-Fae nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yes, my lord. There are three underwater tunnels, as well. One leads to a river, one leads to a small chamber that I'm going to take as my room. The last one went for a very, very long while and when I came out, I was near Pendle. That's a major malevolent witch area, it is, though of late they've been fighting something awful." Malus looked at him curiously, his half-eaten breakfast forgotten. Even the wolves looked curious.

"Why are they fighting?" He asked curiously; Arthas shrugged.

"Well, there were three clans of witches there. Three major clans, that it. They were the Malkin's, the Deane's, and the Mouldheel's. Now, these clans absolutely hated each other, mostly. The Malkin's and the Deane's intermarried a little bit, but they stayed away from the Mouldheel's like the plague.

"Now, if these three clans ever got together and formed a truce, even temporarily, they could pull of huge spells. They'd done this exactly twice before this little war broke out amongst them. The first time was to lay a curse on Jon Gregory, a Spook." Malus stared at him, startled.

"I know him! He was here three days before you popped up!" Arthas looked at him, before shrugging.

"Must not have worked much, then, that spell? Or it's a late bloomer, like a summer-born lamb. Anyways, the second time was a little over seven months ago. They joined together to call the Fiend. The Fiend is known by a couple of names, most importantly the Devil and the Dark-Made-Flesh," Malus stared at him, before shaking his head, wary amusement in his eyes.

"This is the third time I've heard of him, and no one wants to explain it to me," he said, pouting slightly. Arthas stared at him for a few seconds, before shaking his head sharply, as if clearing out the cobwebs.

"Er, he's just…well…the closest thing I can think of to represent him is the embodiment of all that is Dark. He's not the kind of guy you'd want as an enemy, but you would never be allies with him. He would be your Lord and you his servant. He has no equal, so far, that is. He does seem to have a vendetta against the Spook's apprentice, Tom Ward, though." Malus winced in sympathy for his friend. He'd hate to have some all powerful sociopath after him.

"How do you know all this?" He asked instead of commenting; Arthas shrugged.

"Word travels on the water as fast as it does on the wind, my lord." Malus sighed softly, rolling his eyes.

"For Magic's sake, will you just call me Malus already? All this 'my lord' shite is getting boring." Arthas flashed him a smile that made Malus notice how handsome he was, his blue eye swirling brightly.

"Very well then, Malus," he said calmly. They fell into a companionable silence, thinking about the information that had just been given and received. After breakfast, though, Malus went on patrol, Dagger and Sheath ran off somewhere, and Arthas returned to his lake chamber.

Malus breathed deeply, taking in the scents of the forests through his nose, shaking his head as he leaped through the underbrush as a wolf. He ran easily, gracefully, managing to vibrate with power and intelligence. He paused to drink from a stream, his Magic making sure that nothing was near as he drank. Suddenly, though, it gave a tingle of warning, and his head shot up, glowing green eyes locking with a pair of glowing red. His entire body stilled, and his ears flicked warily.

The other wolf stepped from the shadows carefully, warily. It was a pure black, just as his fur, seeming to be made from shadows. It had dark green tips on its ears, and on the tip of its tail. Malus sat down, watching the other male carefully. He was new, he observed. There was barely any trace of his forest upon him.

Cautiously, he gave the strange wolf a small woof of greeting. The wolf nodded carefully, warily, its glowing red eyes focused on his own. Malus would have normally taken it as a challenge, but he felt that this wasn't the case. They were both curious and both confident in their own powers. Tentatively, he thumped his tail on the ground, opening his mouth in a 'smile'. The wolf blinked at him, curious, before it's tail wagged once in return and it returned his smile. They sat there smiling, before a pair of howls erupted from the distance, calling to Malus and asking him where he was. The boy-witch-turned-wolf didn't hesitate and happily howled back. The strange wolf hesitated, before moving over and sitting next to him

'Hello' it seemed to say.

'Hello' Malus answered, seemingly.

'News travels,' the strange wolf seemed to say. 'New Alpha in the forest. Strong Alpha.' Malus scratched behind his ear.

'Yes.' Was all he motioned; the strange wolf continued.

'Alpha?' he asked with his eyes; Malus answered

'Yes.' The strange wolf nodded, yawning.

'Pack feels safe with Alpha,' he finally said; Malus looked at him.

'Pack have different Alpha?' he asked as Dagger and Sheath entered the clearing. The strange wolf shook his head with a soft woof of greeting to the other two, who greeted him back, before greeting Malus with licks to the muzzle, showing he was Alpha.

'Pack had Alpha. Alpha died. You're New Alpha. Better Alpha.' Dagger agreed with the wolf's statement wholly, and Sheath agreed as well. Malus merely yawned.

'Protect Pack,' he said simply. 'Protect Pups. Kill enemies, harbor Loners, give safe passage through territory. Any need help, ask. Any need to pass, ask.' The strange wolf nodded, licking his muzzle and baring his throat, acknowledging him as the Alpha.

'Tell others Alpha has ordered. Alpha's name?' Malus dropped his mouth open in a smile, tail wagging slightly.

'Give it get yours,' he answered with a yip; the strange wolf wagged his tail in return, smiling.

'Name's Raw Bone, Alpha.' Malus nodded, mind shifting through his wolf-parts mind, translating his name into something the wolves would understand more.

'Greetings and Fair Hunting, Raw Bone. Name's Dark Light,' he returned; Raw Bones yipped, tail wagging slightly again.

'Greetings and Fair Hunting to you as well, Alpha Dark Light. Farewell and Strong Howling, Alpha. Must return to Pack and tell of Alpha's orders.' Malus nodded.

'Farewell and Strong Howling in return, Raw Bones. Run swift and sure, and may you bare many Pups.' Raw Bones yipped, flicked his tail in a wave, and darted through the tree's.

"_You do that very well, Master,"_ Dagger said, standing next to him and looked after the wild wolf. Malus sighed in relief, and switched over to his much-more favored form of Wolf-Speak, that of wolves born in the same litter, or so close they might as well have been.

"_I forget how hard it is to translate human conversation into canine,"_ he answered, lifting a paw to tap his own snout in a parody of a temple-rubbing. Dagger chuckled lowly, grinning down at him. Even as a wolf, Malus was short. He would most likely always be that way, but he made up for it in speed and Magical strength.

"_As interesting as this is,"_ Sheaths unfamiliar female voice drawled, drawing the males attention to her. _"I would very much appreciate it if we could finish patrolling and maybe return to the cave before it rains."_ Malus sniffed the air at her words, tasting the distant dampness and crispness that signaled a storm on the way.

"_Very well, Sheath. You have a point. Though, you have to admit, it's interesting to have met a wild wolf. Though, I wonder why his eyes glowed red…"_ Sheath answered them as they started running, watching for anything that could be problematic.

"_I sensed some of my own kind's blood in him, but different. I believe he has some Skelk Hound in him, Alpha."_ Malus looked over his shoulder at her curiously.

"_What's a Skelk Hound?"_ he asked curiously; Dagger answered him,

"_They are a type of Fae Wolf, an Unseelie Fae. They have glowing red eyes, thick furs, metal claws and huge ram horns on either side of their heads. Or, well, the males do, anyway."_ Malus looked at him curiously.

"_They're Fae Wolves with metal claws?"_ he asked, surprised; Sheath nodded calmly, leaping over a bush.

"_Iron Claws, Goat Heads, we call them many names and titles,"_ she told him calmly. _"The humanoid Fae often used them in war. Setting a small group of Skelk Hounds on other Fae is a perfect way to kill them. Skelk Hounds are immune to most Fae Magic, and their only goals are to kill, protect their Packs and Pups, and to Mate."_ Malus nodded understandingly.

"_So we have Skelk Hounds in the forest?"_ he asked curiously; the other two shook their heads in answer.

"_My cousins have long since left this territory, and are instead scouring the Witch Battlefields to the eats,"_ Sheath told him calmly; Malus woofed softly, as they started back home, finished for the moment, having been outside for hours patrolling and… He wasn't exactly sure he wanted to know what Sheath and Dagger had been doing _before_ they started patrolling, so he didn't ask. He wondered, though, how many Pups would be arriving when the Fae-wolf gave birth. Only time would tell, he decided, transforming back into his human shape.

**A/N:** Yay, another Chappy done!!! XP R&R PLEAZE!!! Thx!


	9. Birthday Surprises

**A/N:** Okay, EVERYONE WHO READS THIS: PLZ REVIEW B4 YOU ADD THIS STORY!!!! I and my only Reviewer are both slightly irritated. I KNOW people have been adding my story, but NONE of you have Reviewed!! You can review anonymously if you want, I don't give a damn. Just DO!!! XC

On a Lighter note… I am building Sexual tension. LEAVE ME ALONE!!! Minor slash in this chap. Not much, but it's there, so deal with it!!! XP

**Chapter Eight**

**~*~**

Malus and Arthas slowly became closer, as close as the boy-witch was to Dagger and Sheath. It took several months, but it worked out very well. Arthas would patrol the water ways, Dagger and his mate would patrol the forest and check in with Raw Bones and his small Pack of six, one of which was close to birth, and Malus would patrol the sky and check in with everybody in the village.

Arthas, he'd discovered to his delight, adored children almost as much as he did. Apparently, for Kelpie's, children were sacred, and you weren't allowed to eat them. He'd hit it off with Mary immediately, after saving the girl from a nasty tumble into the river. Malus was also finding it harder and harder not to notice his handsome half-Fae friend.

Malus had come to terms with the fact that he found men attractive. He refused to lie to himself about anything, especially something as trivial as sexual preference. He didn't mind it, though, and he knew that Arthas sure didn't. He liked having the man around for something besides eye-candy anyways. It seemed that Arthas was a scholar of sorts, and they often had long debates about certain aspects of spells.

All in all, when his birthday arrived, he barely noticed it at all. The only thing that reminded him that he was now eleven, was when he went to town and was practically tackled to the ground by Mary, who beamed down at him from her place on his chest, and told him happy birthday. She then dragged him to her house, where the entire Fall family, as well as Mrs. Gilbert and the Susans. Martha gave him a crushing hug when she saw him, and smiled up at him shyly.

"Hey there, pup!" He exclaimed, scooping her up into his arms, doing the same for Mary. They both giggled and clung to him happily, perfectly content to stay there all day. "What's going on?" He asked Mrs. Fall, who beamed at him in amusement.

"Your birthday, silly! You're so busy patrolling all the time that you forget you're still a child. Live a little!" She demanded good-naturedly; Malus smiled at her sheepishly. He did forget a lot. He'd just gotten used to protecting everybody and was too mature for the boys and girls his age, anyways.

"Ah, I see your point, Mrs. Fall," he replied, smiling bashfully as she kissed him on the forehead and ruffled his hair playfully.

"All's well, Malus. Come, though, we have presents and cake!" The girls squealed and wiggled out of his arms, and darted for the kitchen, making everyone laugh warmly. Asher and his cousin, Marcus, herded him into the room as well, where a small pile of presents waited for him next to a large chocolate cake.

"Wow," Malus said, surprised as he sat at the table, everyone gathering in the kitchen and taking seats themselves. "I've never had a birthday party before…" he trailed off, looking at it all in a childish wonder. The women smiled softly, and the men just grinned, happy.

"Open mine first!" Mary demanded, handing him a present wrapped in old cloth. Malus obligingly opened it. It was a book, obviously old and smelling faintly of lavender. It said _Stories of the Fae and Other Creatures_ in gold on the front and the spine. He opened it, and discovered it was a Journal, written by a Fae named Aliman.

"I love it, Mary, and I'll be sure to read the entire thing as soon as I get home," Malus promised, smiling warmly at the girl

"Mine next!" Martha exclaimed excitably. Her gift was wrapped in doe-skin died green, and was round. Malus opened it and found a round, smooth rock that looked nearly like a crystal ball.

"Wow," he said, admiring it. He smiled at the eager girl. "It's beautiful, thank you, pup." Martha giggled and beamed warmly. The present giving continued, more and more people arriving, some with presents of their own, some with a mere 'happy birthday, Malus' before leaving.

Malus had gotten seven more books on various things, a beautiful painting from Widow Harley, who had once been a famous painter before her husband died and she moved to the reclusive Shannon's Burg. Tanis gave him a warm winter cloak with fox fur died green inside the hood and along the hem, as well as a red wolf paw imprinted on the back.

Mrs. Fall gave him a hand-knitted blanket; Asher and his cousin had made him a necklace of sharp eye-teeth. Most looked like they came from bears, but a few were from foxes and even a wolf or two. He put it on immediately, loving it. Mrs. Gilbert gave him a rosary made of red stones, but instead of a cross it had a red and black pentagram on it. He put this on immediately as well.

Dairius had gotten him a contract that said: Any Mayor after him would not be allowed to force Malus, or any creatures under his care, from the forest. Nor could any Spook legally banish them, without permission from Malus, the present Mayor, and any family that was in any way involved. Malus had hugged him for that, tears in his eyes. Finally, though, they finished and ate the cake.

Malus carefully placed all of his presents in his bag, as well as two extra pieces of cake for his friends. He thanked everyone profusely, smiling the entire time, eyes shining with joy. It was the happiest anyone had ever seen him, and no one could keep a returning smile from their face when he aimed it their way. It was brilliant.

Malus hurried home, noticing (finally) how late it was. He flew back to the cave in the form of a hawk, shrieking a playful challenge at some of the other birds he passed. None of them answered his challenge, though, knowing he was just playing. The animals of the forest were well aware of the fact that Malus would never hurt them out of cruelty. Necessity, yes, but just for sport? Not their boy-witch.

"What took you so long?" Arthas asked curiously, watching as Malus pulled out the cake. He gave the half-Fae a piece, smiling warmly at him.

"The village threw me a birthday party," he said cheerfully, turning to start pulling the presents out and using his Magic to place them in various places in various tunnels and such. Arthas stared at him, before setting the cake down and going over to him, watching silently as he pulled various knick knacks from his bag.

"It's your birthday?" he asked; Malus nodded, not looking up.

"Yup! I forgot about it, though," he admitted, finally standing and turning to face the half-Fae… Who, he discovered, was standing very close to him, and was only wearing a pair of pants. Blinking at the nicely muscled chest in front of him, Malus blushed slightly, dragging his gaze up to Arthas' face, which stared down at him, his mix-matched eyes smoldering. Suddenly, the half-Fae leaned down and pressed his lips firmly against Malus's own.

Malus gasped softly at the feeling, and Arthas quickly took advantage, slipping his tongue into the boy-witches, kissing him deeply. Malus moaned softly, lifting his arms instinctively to wrap them around the half-Fae's neck tightly, molding himself to the older mans well-built body. Slowly, Arthas pulled back, both of them panting slightly. The half-Fae took in Malus's glazed and flushed look with a smug, male satisfaction, rubbing his thumb lightly over the boy-witches kiss-swollen lower lip. Smirking, he gave the boy one more kiss, before pulling away.

"Happy birthday, my lord," he purred darkly; Malus couldn't contain his shiver. The half-Fae chuckled darkly, before slinking gracefully back to his place next to the fire, sitting down to eat his cake. Malus stared at him dumbly for a few moments, before shaking his head sharply.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he muttered to himself, before going over to join the half-Fae at the fire, waiting for Dagger and his very pregnant mate to return from hunting their dinner. He didn't approve of Sheath going out hunting, seeing as how she looked like she was about to burst, but the she-wolf got antsy when confined to the cave, and usually ended up snarling and sniping at anyone who got near her for a day afterward.

It wasn't long after dusk that the wolves finally returned, Sheath's bulging belly swaying slightly as she walked, tongue lolling out of her mouth in exhaustion, leaning heavily on Dagger's large form. They lay down swiftly, cuddling up close to each other on their very own bear-pelt, in a nest-like pile of soft, warm furs that Malus had bought for them.

"Hey, you," he murmured, giving them their slice of cake, vanilla, made especially for the wolves. Sheath gobbled hers' down, and Dagger only ate half of his before giving her the rest. He'd never been partial to sweets. Sheath ate his, before yawning and laying her head down, falling almost instantly asleep. Dagger laid his large head over her back, nuzzling her bulging belly softly, lovingly. Malus smiled at them softly. They were a perfect couple.

"Cute, ain't they?" Arthas murmured directly into his ear, his warm breath ghosting over the shell and making Malus shiver slightly. The boy-witch nodded, swallowing slightly before turning his head. Their faces were mere inches away from each other, their breaths mingling. Malus stared into those mix-matched eyes, and found himself relaxing, simply staring into them. They remained that way, staring, neither one of them blinking, for nearly an hour, before Arthas suddenly smiled softly, sadly. With a sigh, he got to his feet.

"You know, Malus," he said softly, staring down at the boy-witch. "We would never be a couple." Malus blinked at him, cocking his head to the side. "I'm part Incubus. That means that, if we had sex multiple times in succession-which we would, believe me-" he smirked knowingly as Malus blushed. "Then I would drain your life force. We may be able to have sex, and we'd both enjoy it, I assure you, but it would have to be with long intervals in between, during which time I'd have to have different lovers, so as the temptation to screw you into the mattress wouldn't be so… Tempting," he purred the last word, smirking as Malus blushed even darker.

"I understand," Malus squeaked, before clearing his throat, still blushing brightly. "I understand," he repeated in a firmer voice. Arthas nodded calmly, before smirking once more.

"It doesn't mean we can't have fun, though," he purred, yanking the boy up for one more toe-curling, knee-weakening kiss before releasing the dazed boy and walking away. "Night, my lord!" He called over his shoulder, entering his tunnel while Malus sputtered, beet red. Again. Dagger snickered at him sleepily, making Malus send him a pout. With a sigh, he made sure that the enchanted fire wouldn't jump out of its' pit, before lying down and staring up at the cave ceiling.

"What have I gotten myself into?" he ask no one in particular, before sighing and closing his eyes. He'd figure it out later, he decided, falling asleep. Yes, most definitely later…

**A/N:** Yay for Sexual Tension!!! XP See? Minor slash. Nothing to worry about at all… Yet. XP Lolz!! R&R PLZ!!!


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